Summer Fridays just dropped a reformulated Lip Butter Balm and the internet is losing it. The old one was basically perfect—why touch it?
The panic is real because the new texture isn’t just “different.” It’s noticeably thinner. Slides off the applicator like it’s trying to escape.
$24 for 0.5 oz. Same pink tube, same vanilla scent, completely different feel on the mouth. The brand claims “enhanced moisture”—I call it a gamble.
New Texture
Gone is that thick, almost-buttery slug. Now it’s slick. Think lip oil’s wet cousin.
Same Scent
Vanilla birthday cake still slaps. That part didn’t change.
Wear Time
Old formula lasted through coffee. This one? Gone in 45 minutes. I timed it.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
They swapped the heavy-duty emollients for lighter ones. Shea butter got demoted. The hero ingredients are still decent but the ratio’s off.
- Shea Butter: Still here but less prominent, feels watered down
- Jojoba Oil: Doing the heavy lifting now, absorbs in 10 seconds
- Peptide Complex: Claims to plump, does nothing visible
- Vitamin E: Standard antioxidant, not saving this reformulation
Photo: Nick Noel / Unsplash
First swipe felt like melted margarine. Thin, wet, and it evaporated before I could even pout. The old balm sat on your lips like a cozy blanket—this one’s a bedsheet.
Week two: my lips actually feel drier than before. That’s the real kicker. I’m reapplying 4x a day now instead of 2. The “enhanced moisture” claim is straight gaslighting.
Photo: Kier in Sight Archives / Unsplash
My lips got softer for the first 10 minutes. Then back to normal. Zero lasting change. No plumping, no healing, just a temporary shine that demands constant babysitting.
Photo: Etienne Girardet / Unsplash
Summer Fridays broke what wasn’t broken. The new formula is fine for gloss lovers, but if you wanted a lip balm that actually balms, stock up on the old version while it’s still floating around.